By Adrianna Outlaw | Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Daria Kasatkina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova each scored singles wins as the Russian Tennis Federation swept Canada, 3-0, in its Billie Jean King Cup opener.
Photo credit: ITF/Billie Jean King Cup
Russia delivered delightful destruction in its Billie Jean King Cup opener.
Daria Kasatkina cleaned house in the opening match and teammate Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova trashed the locker room to spark victory in second singles as the Russian Tennis Federation swept Canada 3-0 in its Billie Jean King Cup opener in Prague.
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The Russian Tennis Federation is now the only undefeated team in Group A after Canada upset defending-champion France yesterday.
The top four teams in each group of the 12-team round-robin Finals format advance to the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals. Russia can sew up a semifinal spot defeating France tomorrow.
World No. 28 Kasatkina reeled off six straight games sealing a 6-3, 6-1 win over Canadian Carol Zhao in today's opening match.
"Having the responsibility for winning the first match for your nation, and then doing so, is great," Kasatkina said. "Before you go on court, you are super nervous because it is the first match for the team and you do not know what to expect.
"I was ready to be nervous, which happened, but in the end I was able to fight with my nerves and I was emotionally better, especially in the second set. The most important thing is to get the point for the team."
Olympic mixed doubles gold medal champion Pavlyuchenkova clinched the Russian Tennis Federation's victory fending off Rebecca Marino 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Pavyluchenkova left the court to give the lockerroom a beat down and that carnage proved cathartic.
"Any win, especially here in this competition, is very important and when you're playing for the team, the only goal is to win matches and bring points to the team," Pavlyuchenkova said. "The key to the victory was probably me going to the lockerroom, destroying the lockerroom and leaving all of the negative emotions out there in that lockerroom.
"I started to be upset in the middle of the second set because I thought I had some opportunities on her [serve]. But I wasn't converting and breaking her. That was disappointing for me. But I went back on the court and was free with my mind. I just started to play freely and fight for every point."
In the dead doubles rubber, Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova defeated Gabriela Dabrowski and Marino 6-3, 6-1.